Chicago restaurants are finally back in the spotlight. Can you hear the sarcasm dripping from our fingers? Last year, Esquire's John Mariani didn't deem any Chicago restaurants worthy for inclusion into his list of the "Best New Restaurants of 2009." Several standouts made his "also-ran" list, including the Bristol, the Publican and Sepia, but it was a swing and a miss for Chicago restaurants as far as Mariani was concerned. Given longtime suspicions of Mariani concerning objectivity and pay for play, we doubt many Chicago chefs were losing sleep over their absence. more ›

• It's dinner and a show this evening at Brasserie JO (59 W. Hubbard). Guests this evening will be treated to traditional French Christmas carols courtesy of students from LaSalle Language Academy at 7 p.m.
• Epic (112 W. Hubbard, 312-222-4940) opens today. Helmed by chef Stephen Wambach (most recently the corporate chef for Laurent Tourondel’s acclaimed BLT Restaurants) with rock star pastry chef Christine McCabe (Charlie Trotter, Gabriel Viti), Epic will focus on contemporary American cuisine with a French influence. Think hamachi with artichoke, blood orange and Meyer lemon and seared halibut with caramelized cauliflower and hazelnut emulsion.

If this is the direction advertising is headed, we like it. Honest. Straightforward. Direct. EPIC. more ›